During the holidays, churches should influence lives of students in matters spirituality, character, talent, career and academic development. This can happen in youth and teens services, seminars, camps and conferences.
Foremost, churches should spearhead spiritual development. For in 1 Timothy 3:15 (b), Apostle Paul reminded his protégé Timothy that the church is the pillar and ground of truth. Therefore, participating in church programmes exposes young adults to pious truth.
Churches should expose young people to intelligent, interesting and inspirational content. Churches should save the young generation from cults, occults, perversion, heresies, radicalisation and secularism. How? By grounding them on spiritual disciplines like Bible reading, prayer, fasting, fellowship, service and altruism.
Secondly, churches should be at the forefront on matters character development. Spirituality, morality and character intersect at some focal point. Therefore, churches should focus on character development, which in most cases entices greatness.
Character is the sum total of values, beliefs and personality. People depict content of their character through behaviour and actions. Then, people with good character adhere to some acceptable codes of conduct. Through internal value systems, they make informed decisions and focus on pillars of character like respect, courtesy, diligence, discipline, dignity, integrity and responsibility.
In a broader sense, during the holiday, churches should focus on programmes that nurture talents, gifts and skills inherent in young people. We should not be ignorant about gifts because skills are acquired abilities. Young people need skills such as life skills, 21st century skills, employability skills, transferable skills, soft skills, people skills and life skills.
The church plays a pivotal role in matters career development of young people. Careers are professions and vocations that will enable them to prosper and access success in life. In the distant past, Abraham Lincoln observed, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” This prediction of the future requires good guidance.
Again, there is exigence of exploring factors influencing career choices, without locking out myths, pitfalls and pratfalls about careers. There should be sensitisation on seriousness in subject selection, new grading system, new funding formula, career trends, study abroad chances, scholarship opportunities and sources of funds for tertiary education.
In addition, Form Four leavers need an in-depth programme: What Next After KCSE? This should focus on dos and don’ts after KCSE, plus top tips on how to survive and thrive in college. Meanwhile, young adults in universities and colleges need serious skills enhancement-cum-development programmes.
Finally, churches should encourage young people to evince excellence through love of learning. There should be well thought out programmes on academic excellence. By extension, church premises should be places where teens and youth can hear messages about academic excellence.
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